Leeds, U.K.-based rockers GENTLEMANS PISTOLS, who feature in their ranks CARCASS guitarist Bill Steer, will release their third album, "Hustler's Row", on October 16 via Nuclear Blast.

In the two-minute clip below, Steer explains how he came to join GENTLEMANS PISTOLS.

"Hustler's Row" formats and track listings:

CD

01. The Searcher02. Devil’s Advocate On Call03. Time Wasters04. Private Rendezvous05. Stress And Confusion06. Personal Fantasy Wonderland07. Lady Teaser08. Dazzle Drizzler09. Coz Of You10. Hustler’s Row

Vinyl

Side A

01. The Searcher02. Devil’s Advocate On Call03. Time Wasters04. Private Rendezvous05. Stress And Confusion

Side B

01. Personal Fantasy Wonderland02. Lady Teaser03. Dazzle Drizzler04. Coz Of You05. Hustler’s Row

Says GENTLEMANS PISTOLS vocalist and guitarist James Atkinson: "'Hustler's Row' is a cathartic journey through the last five years of my life. The album begins with questions of where my life is going and ends with me heading straight down 'Hustler's Row'; on a turbulent voyage of the sweetest sufferings and the most inexpensive of thrills. The artwork is by John Pearson and it encapsulates everything I put across in the title track, that 'Hustler's Row' is a place for freaks, losers, lovers and those searching for something more from life. So we invite you to join us on the 'Row'…"

The artwork shows a grisly dystopian vision of a British street, overflowing with violence, gloom and insanity. Rabid dogs and Hitchcock-esque ominous birds loom over the flailing limbs and blood red lettering spelling out "Hustler's Row".

"Our old guitarist, Chris Rogers, lived on a street called Hustler's Row in Leeds," adds Atkinson. "It's actually a really nice place, but, to me, the name evoked an image of a place of desolation and despair, so the lyrics I wrote have no connection to that street at all. It was Bill that thought it would make a good album title and it seemed to make sense as it is the final song on the album too."

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS have been causing a stir on the underground for a while now with their debauched lyrics, melodic groove and general Yorkshire rock 'n' roll swagger. Formed as a three-piece back in 2003, the band has gone through a variety of lineup changes throughout its career and has now stabilized as a four-piece. GENTLEMANS PISTOLS' last album, "At Her Majesty's Pleasure", was released to great acclaim in 2011.

The band has performed at U.K. and international festivals such as Desertfest, Hammerfest, Long Division and Fuji Rock festival in Japan, and has previously toured with the likes of WITCHCRAFT, LEAF HOUND and PENTAGRAM.

Says the group: "The album was recorded by singer/guitarist James Atkinson at Mutiny Studios in Bradford and reflects nearly five years of experience for the band: good times, bad times, boredom, exhilaration, heartache, frustration and wonder.

"With this album, we tried to make a record that we would want to listen to; one that was heavy but melodic, intense but catchy, thoughtful but unruly. A record for reprobates and romantics, for gentlemen and hustlers.ˮ

In a 2013 interview, Steer stated about GENTLEMANS PISTOLS: "It's a very fun thing to do and very different from CARCASS in a lot of ways." GENTLEMANS PISTOLS are:

James Atkinson - vocals/guitarsBill Steer - guitarStuart Dobbins - drumsRobert Threapleton - bass

SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell performed his new song "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart", the debut single from his solo album "Higher Truth", on last night's (Thursday, September 17) edition of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". You can watch video footage of his appearance below.

Cornell's fourth solo studio set, "Higher Truth", is being released on Friday (September 18). His first album on his own since 2009's controversial "Scream" is in the singer-songwriter vein and very different from his work with SOUNDGARDEN. Cornell told The Pulse Of Radio that that was the point of doing it. "Writing an album like 'Higher Truth', the same as it was writing any of my solo records, there's always this effort to try to make it different than the band that I'm known for," he said. "Mainly just 'cause I've never — as a music fan — never really liked when those two lines get kind of smeared."

The "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" video — envisioned by Cornell and directed by Jessie Hill — features a cameo by acclaimed Hollywood actors Eric Roberts ("Runaway Train", "Heroes", "The Expendables"), W. Earl Brown ("Deadwood"), as well as Chris Cornell making his acting debut. It tells a love story in a quintessential Wild West setting with an unexpected ending. The video demonstrates Cornell's instinctive ability to incorporate fascinating stories into his music. Cornell will kick off the "Higher Truth" acoustic tour on September 18 in San Diego, California at the Balboa Theatre, stopping at famed North American venues like the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Massey Hall in Toronto and more before winding down on November 4 in Phoenix, Arizona at the Orpheum Theatre.

"Higher Truth" track listing: 01. Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart02. Dead Wishes03. Worried Moon04. Before We Disappear05. Through The Window06. Josephine07. Murderer Of Blue Skies08. Higher Truth09. Let Your Eyes Wander10. Only These Words11. Circling12. Our Time In The Universe Bonus tracks: 13. Bend In The Road14. Wrong Side15. Misery Chain16. Our Time In The Universe (Remix)

The remaining members of legendary progressive rock innovators CYNIC will headline this year's edition of the Euroblast festival on October 3 in Cologne, Germany. Guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal (pictured) and bassist Sean Malone will be joined by drummer Matt Lynch, best known for his work in the jazz-fusion project TRIOSCAPES with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME bassist Dan Briggs and saxophonist Walter Fancourt.

The Euroblast appearance is the only show that was salvageable from CYNIC's European tour, which was canceled last week by drummer Sean Reinert without the rest of the band's consent, according to a press release.

Reinert released a statement on September 10 claiming that CYNIC was disbanding "due to artistic and personal differences." He added that his "longstanding creative partnership" with Paul "has simply endured so much friction that there is no way, from my perspective, that CYNIC can be salvaged, repaired or kept afloat by any means."

Masvidal responded by saying that "Sean didn't confer with myself or Malone about CYNIC's official breakup or the tour being canceled." He added: "CYNIC will continue one way or another."

CYNIC's latest album, "Kindly Bent To Free Us", was released in February 2014 via Season Of Mist. The CD was produced by CYNIC at L.A.'s Perfect Sound Studios. The effort was engineered by Jason Donaghy (BAND OF HORSES, FEIST, ROB ZOMBIE, RYAN ADAMS), mixed by R. Walt Vincent (PETE YORN, LIZ PHAIR, TOMMY KEENE) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (FATES WARNING, SEPULTURA, CATHEDRAL, INQUISITION, HALFORD).

On November 6th, German rockers Scorpions will release 50th Anniversary Deluxe Editions of their seminal albums Blackout, Love At First Sting and Savage Amusement. A new trailer for the deluxe edition of Savage Amusement can be seen below:

In addition to unheard studio tracks and live recordings, the CD releases are equipped with extended booklets featuring rare photos and, single covers, backstage passes and additional liner notes by Edgar Klüsener, a former editor-in-chief of Metal Hammer who has followed the band‘s career closely over several decades. The albums are accompanied with a DVD that contains live concert footage from the respective period, together with TV-performances and in-depth interviews with the band. In these interviews they talk about the background history and the creative process of the respective albums.

Blackout tracklisting (CD+DVD):

Disc 1:
“Blackout”
“Can’t Live Without You”
“No One Like You”
“You Give Me All I Need”
“Now!”
“Dynamite”
“Arizona”
“China White”
“When The Smoke Is Going Down”
“Blackout” (Unreleased demo)
“Running For The Plane” (Unreleased demo song)
“Sugar Man” (Unreleased demo song)
“All My Love” (Unreleased demo song)
“Searching For The Rainbow” (Unreleased demo song)

Disc 2:
“No One Like You” (Video clip)
“Arizona” (Video clip)
“Blackout” (Rock Pop In Concert)
“Loving You Sunday Morning” (Rock Pop In Concert)
“Coming Home” (Rock Pop In Concert)
“Always Somewhere” (Rock Pop In Concert)
“Holiday” (Rock Pop In Concert)
“Can’t Live Without You” (Rock Pop In Concert)
“Dynamite” (Rock Pop In Concert)
“Can’t Get Enough” (Rock Pop In Concert)
“Make It Real” (Not broadcasted/ Rock Pop In Concert)
“The Zoo” (Not broadcasted/ Rock Pop In Concert)
Interview special with R. Schenker, K. Meine, M. Jabs, H. Rarebell

Love At First Sting tracklisting (2CD+DVD)

Disc 1:
“Bad Boys Running Wild”
“Rock You Like A Hurricane”
“I’m Leaving You”
“Coming Home”
“The Same Thrill”
“Big City Nights”
“As Soon As The Good Times Roll”
“Crossfire”
“Still Loving You”
“Coming Home” (Unreleased demo)
“Living At Night” (Unreleased demo song)
“First Sting Jam No. 1” (Unreleased demo)
“Anytime (You Want It)” (Unreleased demo song)
“Still Loving You” (Unreleased demo)

Disc 2 (Live At Madison Square Garden, New York City (June 7th, 1984)
“Intro”
“Coming Home”
“Blackout”
“Bad Boys Running Wild”
“Loving You Sunday Morning”
“Big City Nights”
“Holiday (Acoustic)”
“Still Loving You”
“Rock You Like A Hurricane”
“The Zoo”
“Dynamite”

Disc 3:
“Rock You Live A Hurricane” (Video clip)
“I’m Leaving You” (Video clip)
“Big City Nights” (Video clip)
“Rock You Like A Hurricane” (TV Show Germany 1985)
“Still Loving You” (TV Show Germany 1985)
“Still Loving You” (TV Show Germany 1984)
“Big City Nights” (Monsters Of Rock Germnay 1986)
Interview special with R. Schenker, K. Meine, M. Jabs, H. Rarebell

Savage Amusement tracklisting (CD+DVD)

Disc 1:
“Don't Stop At The Top”
“Rhythm Of Love”
“Passion Rules The Game”
“Media Overkill”
“Walking On The Edge”
“We Let It Rock...You Let It Roll”
“Every Minute Every Day”
“Love On The Run”
“Believe In Love”
“Taste Of Love” (Unreleased Demo Song) (Bonus Track)
“Edge Of Time” (Unreleased Demo Version) (Bonus Track)  
“Don't Wait Too Long” (Unreleased Demo Song) (Bonus Track)
“Fast And Furious” (Unreleased Demo) (Bonus Track)  
“Dancing With The Moonlight” (Unreleased Demo Versio)n (Bonus Track)
“Living For Tomorrow” (Unreleased Demo Song) (Bonus Track)
“I Can't Explain”  

Disc 2:
“Rhythm Of Love” (video clip)
“Passion Rules The Game” (video clip)
“Believe In Love” (video clip)
“I Can't Explain” (video clip)
Documentary with clips and live material To Russia With Love
Interview Special with Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine, Matthias Jabs, Herman Rarebell

Scorpions are streaming a previously unreleased demo, "Running For The Plane”, from the Blackout recordings in 82’. The song thrills with a classic Scorpions guitar riff on a groovy backbeat and shows why Klaus Meine is one of the best singers in heavy rock. Blackout is for sure a masterpiece in rock music and the demo of "Running For The Plane“ is a rare piece from the band’s heaviest era.

Trailer:

Scorpions Return To Forever 50th Anniversary Tour, featuring longtime members Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs, alongside James Kottak (drums) and Paweł Mąciwoda (bass), kicked off in May 2015 with dates in four continents. For these milestone shows, Scorpions have built a career-spanning setlist of hits, anthems, ballads and vintage classics. North American dates also feature special guests Queensryche; confirmed shows are as listed.

September
18 - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre - Toronto, ON
19 - Bell Centre - Montreal, QC
22 - Lifestyle Communities Pavilion - Columbus, OH
23 - Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica - Cleveland, OH
25 - Caesar's Windsor - Windsor, ON
26 - Allstate Arena - Rosemont, IL
29 - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre - Greenwood Village, CO     

October
1 - SAP Center - San Jose, CA
3 - The Forum - Inglewood, CA    
6 - Santa Barbara Bowl - Santa Barbara, CA
7 - The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV
9 - ShoWare Center - Kent, WA

Melancholy death-doom masters, Swallow The Sun, bring us a bold, adventurous and characteristically dark triple full-length album entitled Songs From The North I, II & III, which will be released on November 13th via Century Media Records.

Incorporating dark menace and gradations of death, black and funeral doom, each of the three albums of Songs From The North I, II & III”embodies the band’s unofficial band motto, “Gloom, Beauty & Despair”.

Songs From The North I continues in the vein of the albums before it – first-rate death-doom in the typical style of Swallow The Sun.

Tracklisting:

“With You Came the Whole of the World's Tears”
“10 Silver Bullets”
“Rooms and Shadows”
“Heartstrings Shattering”
“Silhouettes”
“The Memory of Light”
“Lost & Catatonic”
“From Happiness to Dust”

Songs From The North II is a beautiful, acoustic foray representing the group’s ability to unplug and revel in the darkness.

Tracklisting:

“The Womb of Winter”
“The Heart of a Cold White Land”
“Away”
“Pray for the Winds to Come”
“Songs From The North”
“66°50´N,28°40´E”
“Autumn Fire”
“Before the Summer Dies”

Songs From The North III is the most extreme album, a complete ride into Swallow The Sun’s most horrific abyss of finely-crafted, conscience-crushing funeral doom.

Tracklisting:

“The Gathering of Black Moths”
“7 Hours Late”
“Empires of Loneliness”
“Abandoned by the Light”
“The Clouds Prepare for Battle”

Songs From The North I, II & III will be available as Special Edition 3CD Box containing 3 Digipaks and a booklet, Ltd. Deluxe Edition 5LP+3CD Box with each album in a gatefold sleeve & as digital album.

Main songwriter and guitarist Juha Raivio comments on the triple album concept: “Making a triple album in this godforsaken digital and modern day and age...Many will say it's madness. I say it is to bring worth, heart and respect back into the music and to the album format where it belongs. This should never turn into a shallow fast food industry where music is only downloaded one song at a time.

“These albums hold life, death, gloom, beauty and despair in their deepest levels and forms. The three chapters are different but connected, one long journey through these songs written up here in the North.

“Music is holy, albums are holy. See you on the other side friends.”

Swallow The Sun is:

Juha Raivio - guitar
Markus Jämsen - guitar
Mikko Kotamäki - vocals
Matti Honkonen -bass
Aleksi Munter - keys
Juuso Raatikainen – drums

(Photo - Jussi Ratilainen Photography)

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards says the band will make a new album next year.

It’ll be their first full-length studio work since 2005’s A Bigger Bang – although they recorded new tracks Doom And Gloom and One More Shot for 2012 compilation Grrr!

Richards, who just launched solo album Crosseyed Heart, had previously said: “I’d like to get the boys back in the studio again.”

Frontman Mick Jagger voiced his agreement in another interview, saying: “I‘ve got a lot of new songs.”

Now Richards has revealed that the Stones have “definite plans to record” in 2016.

He tells Rolling Stone: “We had a little chat – we were just saying, ‘We’ve got to get in the studio, right? That’s agreed. Okay, boys, that’s agreed.’”

He adds: “We might try to get into the studio before Christmas. I think that’s sort of doubtful – but at the same time, it’s definitely in the works.

“I would say, off the top of my head, after the South American tour in February.”

The very first single from The Great Lie, the debut album by metal opera project Melted Space - created by French composer Pierre le Pape and featuring a huge roster of guest musicians and vocalists - is streaming below. The track, "No Need To Fear”, includes a massive ten guest vocalists including David Vincent of Morbid Angel, Attila Csihar of Mayhem and Sunn O))), Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity.

 
The Great Lie debut features internationally-revered vocalists and musicians including members of Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Sunn O))), Dark Tranquillity, Orphaned Land, Shining, Ayreon, Sirenia and the entire cast of The City of Prague Philarmonic Orchestra. Founding creator and composer Pierre le Pape, who bears a master degree in classical music and movie scores, creates a modern opera that takes over the classical codes, including numerous characters, scenario, powerful orchestral arrangements and varied ambiances, all set to skilled and catchy songwriting and amazing casting. Together, this cast has created an epic saga as powerful as moving, and by mixing the tradition of the classic opera with infectious heavy metal, The Great Lie promises to set a new milestone in the genre.
 
The first single from The Great Lie, "No Need To Fear”, clocks in at more than eight minutes in length, the glorious movement includes vocal contributions from Mariangela Demurtas, Guillaume Bideau, Christine Rhoades, David Vincent, Attila Csihar, Mikael Stanne, Arno Strobl, Clémentine Delauney, Virginie Goncalves and Lucie Blatrier, showcasing the incredibly powerful diversity and professional delivery of this ambitious and victorious project.
 

The entire tracklisting for Melted Space's The Great Lie is listed below with all of the guest vocalists and musicians attached to each movement.
 
Laser's Edge division, Sensory Records, will release The Great Lie on October 16th. Stand by for audio samples from the album, an official lyric video and more to be issued in the weeks ahead. View the trailer for The Great Lie below.

Tracklisting:
 
"Listen To The Song Of Despair" (featuring vocalists Ailyn Giménez, Arno Strobl, Clémentine Delauney, Virginie Goncalves, Lucie Blatrier)
"Called By The Queen" (featuring vocalists Guillaume Bideau, Christine Rhoades)
"No Need To Fear" (featuring vocalists Mariangela Demurtas, Guillaume Bideau, Christine Rhoades, David Vincent, Attila Csihar, Mikael Stanne, Arno Strobl, Clémentine Delauney, Virginie Goncalves, Lucie Blatrier)
"Terrible Fight" (featuring vocalists David Vincent, Guillaume Bideau, Manuel Munoz, Clémentine Delauney, Virginie Goncalves, Lucie Blatrier, and guitar solo by Adrian Martinot)
"A God Is Dead" (featuring vocalist Manuel Munoz)
"Trust And Betrayal" (featuring vocalists Mikael Stanne, Guillaume Bideau)
"Glass Castle's Beast" (featuring vocalists Kobi Farhi, Niklas Kvarforth, Guillaume Bideau, Clémentine Delauney, Virginie Goncalves, Lucie Blatrier)
"Hopeless Crime" (featuring vocalists Christine Rhoades, Mikael Stanne, Niklas Kvarforth, Clémentine Delauney, Virginie Goncalves, Lucie Blatrier, and guitar solo by Adrian Martinot)
"The One Who Lost The Faith" (featuring vocalists Niklas Kvarforth, Arno Strobl and guitar, synth and dulcimer solos by Arjen A Lucassen)
"Titania" (featuring vocalists Ailyn Giménez, Guillaume Bideau, Mikael Stanne and guitar solo by Sylvain Coudret)
"Lost Souls From The Other Side" (featuring vocalists Attila Csihar, David Vincent, Mikael Stanne, Ailyn Giménez, Guillaume Bideau, Mariatea Demurtas, Manuel Munoz, Christine Rhoades, Clémentine Delauney, Virginie Goncalves, Lucie Blatrier)

Trailer:

Swedish death metal rulers Grave have launched a lyric video for the song “Mass Grave Mass” which can be found on their upcoming album, Out Of Respect For The Dead, due out on October 16th via Century Media.

The eerie Out Of Respect For The Dead artwork was again done by Costin Chioreanu, who has been responsible for the band's last three albums as well as the Morbid Ascent EP. Chioreanu is also known from his works for bands such as At The Gates, Paradise Lost or Arch Enemy, to name a few.

Out Of Respect For The Dead is available in the following versions:
 
- Standard CD Jewelcase
- Digital Download / Stream
- LP (comes with double-sided poster, 4-page inlay and 180 g vinyl)
- Limited 2CD Box (comes with an exclusive Digipak version of the album, another Digipak of the “Morbid Ascent” EP (previously only released on vinyl), three metal buttons and one fridge magnet, worldwide limited to 5000 hand-numbered copies)
 
The LP version is available in the following vinyl colors:
Black vinyl: unlimited
Golden vinyl: limited to 200 copies, exclusively available at CM Distro Europe
Clear vinyl: limited to 200 copies, exclusively available at Nuclear Blast

Out Of Respect For The Dead tracklist:
“Intro / Mass Grave Mass”
“Flesh Before My Eyes”
“Plain Pine Box”
“Out Of Respect For The Dead”
“The Ominous "They””
“Redeemed Through Hate”
“Deified”
“Trail Of Ungodly Trades”
“Grotesque Glory”
 
Morbid Ascent tracklist:
“Venial Sin”
“Morbid Ascent”
“Possessed” (originally by Satyricon)
“Epos” (Risen From The Tomb remix) 
“Reality Of Life” (new version)       
 
* Morbid Ascent MCD only available in the limited 2CD box

Check out the brand new track “Redeemed Through Hate”:

Grave lineup:

Ola Lindgren – guitars, vocals
Mika Lagrén – guitars
Tobias Cristiansson – bass, vocals
Ronnie Bergerstål – drums

Christian rockers Stryper have checked in with a short guitar tutorial for the song "Big Screen Lies", taken from their forthcoming album, Fallen:

“Big Screen Lies” can now be heard streaming below.

Ulterium Records has announced the release of a limited 2LP gatefold vinyl edition of the upcoming Stryper album, Fallen. A deal was inked with Frontiers and the release dates are set for November 13th in Europe and December 4th in North America. The edition is strictly limited to 1,554 copies worldwide. 389 copies come on white discs and 1,165 copies on standard black discs. Pre-order at this location.

Fallen will be available on CD in North America on October 16th.

“Fallen is about Lucifer before he became Satan. It’s the story of how he got kicked out of Heaven. He tried to overthrow God and take over,” describes Michael Sweet. “The song talks about how beautiful he was. When he walked, there was music. He was the angel of worship and this incredibly powerful and beautiful being.”

"There are songs on this album that coincide with sitting down and reading the bible. The music is heavy and the lyrics are bold and powerful, some taken right from scriptures. Sonically I think this is our best sounding album to date! Everything is crystal clear. The highs are crisp and the lows are tight and punchy. The more I listen, the more excited I am for all of you to hear it!!!”

Fallen tracklisting:

"Yahweh"
"Fallen"
"Pride"
"Big Screen Lies"
"Heaven"
"Love You Like I Do"
"All Over Again"
"After Forever" (Black Sabbath cover)
"Till I Get What I Need"
"Let There Be Light"
"The Calling"
"King Of Kings"

"Big Screen Lies”:

“Fallen”:

Audio samples:

On September 18th, Century Media will release Live Disease - the first ever live concert DVD, Blu-Ray and album from Chicago's Broken Hope. An "Unboxing The Package" video clip has been made available for your enjoyment:

Live Disease was filmed and recorded at the 19th Annual Brutal Assault Festival at Fortress Josefov, Czech Republic on August 8th, 2014 where Broken Hope shared the stage with Devin Townsend, Amon Amarth and other metal titans in front of 20,000+ fans.

Broken Hope founding-father Jeremy Wagner says: "Playing Brutal Assault in 2014 was a dream come true. Being one of the Main Stage acts at the fest in front of those thousands of insane fans was also a HUGE dream come true. And then... above all that... we had this epic moment captured by a pro video crew and also recorded by the best soundman in the biz, and it made for a perfect storm that enabled us to put it together to share with metal fans the world over to enjoy forever! We couldn't have done all this without the mega-talent of Tommy Jones. Tommy took a million pieces of footage and numerous audio files, pieced them all together, aligned everything, edited it all, and made for us (and the world), an absolutely stunning concert DVD! We even added the Broken Hope Documentary-Film, 25 Years Of Sickness - The History of Broken Hope to this Blu-Ray! This film was released only in North America with Omen Of Disease… now the entire world will have this amazing film-and in a Hi-Def Blu-Ray format! Last thing I wanna say is: the skills of Thilo Fehlinger, Scott Creekmore And Chris Wisco made our first-ever live abum a loud, clear, and sonically-bombarding tour-de-force! This entire DVD / CD package is a monumental feather in our cap!"

Video Director Tommy Jones adds: "This Broken Hope project has come out SO SICK! It has the quality and look of a high-end and polished commercial piece, but as a completely brutal, death metal concert experience. Definitely one of the COOLEST LOOKING live pieces I have been able to work on in the death metal genre. Really happy with how it all came together."

 

 

 

New Jersey metallists Seven Witches are ready to assault your senses once again, with a fierce new album, The Way Of The Wicked. Comprised of singer Anthony Cross, guitarist Jack Frost, bassist Ronnie Parkes, and drummer Johnny Kelly, Seven Witches picks up exactly where their hard-hitting last album left off, 2013's Rebirth. And this is especially apparent in the album's lead-off video, "World Without Man".

"When I got the demo version of the music, I knew these were the lyrics I wanted to use for it," recalls Cross. "The opening line was something that I had jotted down some time ago. 'How would it be, if one day, man no longer was?'"

"Think about it… you’ve seen documentaries that show you that if human life ceased to exist, the planet would start to heal. Lyrically, this is where this came from. I’m also a big fan of the Richard Matheson story, I Am Legend, so that fed into it as well. So really, if everyone and everything was gone, how would you go on with your life?"

And according to Cross, his songwriting union with Frost is already a career highlight. "Writing with Jack Frost is a treat! He will usually come up with suggestions and ideas that I would never think of. And in the end we are both happy with the result." And the union is already paying off, as evidenced by the song 'World Without Man', and the full-length The Way Of The Wicked.

Tracklisting:

"The Way Of The Wicked"
"Better Days"
"Among Us"
"Soul Searching"
"Dreams"
"Without Man"
"When I Flew"
"Angel Of Salvation"
"Rise Up"

Enjoy a video for a standout album track, "Better Days".

 

 

 

 

Broken Teeth, the Austin, Texas band led by iconic vocalist Jason McMaster, announces the release of their upcoming new CD and vinyl album, Bulldozer, which will hit the streets on October 23rd via Texas Metal Underground Records.

The album features five original Broken Teeth razor sharp songs, “Raining Fire”, “The Rough and The Tumble”, “Red River Rising" and "Devil on the Road" (from their best of CD), "Flamethrower" (previously available only as a digital download single), and two cover songs - Motorhead's - "The Hammer" and Aerosmith's "Lightning Strikes".

Broken Teeth will be holding their Bulldozer release party on October 23rd at The Sidewinder in Austin, Texas.

Bulldozer cd/vinyl pre-orders here.

"Flamethrower" video:

To celebrate the kickoff of their tour alongside guitar legend Marty Friedman, California-based extreme shred quartet, Exmortus, premiered a new song, "For The Horde”, last week.

The song is now available for download on Bandcamp, Amazon and iTunes. You can also stream it on Spotify or via the lyric video below:

"For The Horde" will also soon be released as a limited-edition 7”, which will feature an exclusive cover of Yngwie Malmsteen's "As Above, So Below" as its B-side. Pre-order it now. The artwork, shown above, was contributed by Cyril van der Haegen, who also designed the cover art for the group's sold-out 2013 7”, "Immortality Made Flesh”.

"For The Horde" is the first taste of Exmortus’ new album, the follow-up to 2014's Slave To The Sword. Tracked over the summer with Zack Ohren (Suffocation, Immolation), the new album - the group's first with new bassist Michael Cosio (ex-Abysmal Dawn) - is expected to be released in January. More information about the recording will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Find the band’s live itinerary at this location.

 

Former Havok member Mike Leon has joined metal icons, Soulfly, as the band's brand new bass player.

"Soulfly fans get ready," states guitarist/vocalist Max Cavalera. "I'm really excited to announce that Mike Leon is going to be playing bass on our upcoming North American tour. I'm a big fan of Mike's work and having him in Soulfly is going to bring some of the killer thrash metal vibe to the band! He's a great guy and I can't wait to be on stage tearing it up with Mike. See you in the pit!"

Mike Leon adds: "It is an indescribable feeling to be joining up to shred with Soulfly! I've been a fan of Max and his music since I was a little kid, and to be playing with him and the guys now is truly unbelievable! I cannot wait to bring the ruckus on stage for all of the Tribe around the world! Rest assured that I'm going to rock extra hard for you guys! See y'all on the road!!!"

Soulfly released their epic and extreme, groove-laden 10th studio album, Archangel, on August 14th via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The band recently unleashed the first music video from the album - for the title track "Archangel". Check out the 360 degree footage taken from the making of the "Archangel" music video below.

Comments director Robert Sexton: "Not to overplay it, but the 360° aspect of this clip, and the fact that it's Soulfly, is pretty epic. Sure, it's only one set up, but it's the whole room and the viewer is standing in the middle of the pit! No one in metal has really exploited this new tech as of yet. Definitely a cool perspective."

Find Soulfly’s live itinerary at this location.

London-based tech-metal quartet Derange have unveiled “The Thinker”, the first single from their upcoming album The Awakening. According to a press release, the song is a hugely melodic slice of tech-metal, showcasing not only the band’s intricate musicianship but also singer Cat Pereira’s incredible vocal range. The band filmed a video for “The Thinker” which can be viewed below.

Formed in London in 2012, Derange have been slowly building up to the release of their debut album, The Awakening.

Produced by the legendary Russ Russell (Dimmu Borgir, Napalm Death, Sikth, Amorphis, Evile etc.) The Awakening is a glorious tech-metal affair, referencing forward thinking bands like Karnivool, TesseracT and Periphery, all topped off by the haunting and powerful vocals of Cat Pereira. Described by Russell; “one of the best vocalists I've ever come across”, Pereira is a formidable talent, bringing equal parts aggression and melody to  Derange’s complex and powerful music.

With the singles “Ego” and “Unleash” making their mark soon after the band’s inception, Derange would take their time to produce their Change EP (featuring the single/video “Pretty Ones”) but once released it would bring the band to a much wider audience.

Since then the band have been hard at work bringing The Awakening to fruition, spending long hours under the expert tutelage of Russ Russell, honing their songs into their final form. The Awakening is out October 5th.

Band lineup:

Cat Pereira - vocals
Nick Crosby - guitar
Joe Macpherson - bass
Warren de Melo - drums

(Photo - Marianne Harris)

Raise your hand if you spent hours upon hours practicing and rocking out in front of the mirror to your favorite tunes when you were a kid, imagining you were up on stage with your heroes. Huzzah!
Raise your hand if you kinda still do that inside your head when one of your favorite albums comes on… while you’re in the car, working out, or just jamming by yourself. Heyyyyyyyyy
Raise your hand if you ever thought you’d ACTUALLY get to jam with your favorite band on stage.
Gojira superfan Abhinav Yogesh recently got to do exactly that. After spending hundreds of hours learning Mario Duplantier’s drum parts — no easy feat! — and traveling from India to see the band 24 times all over the world, Yogesh got to play “Oroborous” and “L’enfant Sauvage” with the full band during sound-check. Watch the heart-warming (lol) footage below via Metal Injection.
Not sure what’s better — watching Yogesh absolutely CRUSH, seeing the look of pure joy on his face, or seeing Duplantier be genuinely thrilled at the justice done to his parts.

TESTAMENT and METAL ALLEGIANCE guitarist Alex Skolnick was interviewed on the September 4-6 edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. You can now listen to the chat using the Podbean widget below. A couple of excerpts follow.

Full Metal Jackie: What is most important about the camaraderie of METAL ALLEGIANCE to the metal genre as a whole?

Alex: Well, it's something that came together very naturally. It's something that all the musicians involved participated in as fans. And the four of us who wrote this record — myself, David Ellefson [MEGADETH], Mike Portnoy [THE WINERY DOGS, ex-DREAM THEATER] and Mark Menghi — we got together and we wanted to create the album that we want to come out and that we think a lot of fans want to come out. It's not tied into any one band. You know, bands establish a certain sound, especially bands that have been around for ten or more years, like most of us have. You have periods — you have this period of the band, [you have] that period of the band. We wanted to do an album that is fresh. There's no definition. It's not tied to any expectations and it taps into what the album that we want to come out as fans, the album that we think a lot of fans want to come out. And then, inviting a couple of dozen of our closest friends to help sing and do some guest musical parts on it. They all felt the same way. So it's really… I think that the spirit is reflected in the music.

Full Metal Jackie: There are some big names performing on [METAL ALLEGIANCE's self-titled] album. How did you decide what song would suit which person?

Alex: You know, it's funny, because the fit of most of the vocalists, it's such a good fit that, you know, the people that have heard it so far — mostly journalists who have advance copies — they are sure that we wrote the songs around those voices, and that's not true. The songs were created, and as we were nearing the finish line for each tune, then we would start to think about what type of voice to put on it. And we also didn't know who was gonna be available. We knew we wanted to get this out before our upcoming album cycles. And everybody's got album cycles. THE WINERY DOGS has an album coming out with Mike, there's a MEGADETH record coming. TESTAMENT is writing the record, and we're gonna have it out early next year; that's our plan. So we knew we were racing against the clock, and as we were finishing each song, we thought, 'Okay, so-and-so would sound really good on this. Okay, what if he's not available? Or she's not available? What's another name?' And then we would compile this list of singers. And then, as we got to the point where we were ready for vocals, we narrowed it down and we talked to people. And in the end, the vocalists that we got just seemed to fit the songs like a glove.

Full Metal Jackie: Alex, you've also been working on new music with TESTAMENT. How did making this album [influence] that and visa versa?

Alex: Well, they're very different. If I have a part that I know is right for TESTAMENT, TESTAMENT gets a crack at it. I did have a few ideas lying around that just hadn't found their way onto TESTAMENT records. And it seems to have worked perfectly here. But also, some of the songs… It's funny — the song that will most be compared to TESTAMENT is, obviously, the one with my dude Chuck Billy [TESTAMENT] as a guest vocalist on "Can't Kill The Devil", because when you hear the two of us, it's naturally going to sound like TESTAMENT. Those riffs, they're in the style of other TESTAMENT riffs that I've written, such as "Into the Pit" — the single-note type of riffs. But that really was a response to the drum beat that Mike Portnoy was playing, and I think, as it came out, we realized, "Oh, this would sound great with Chuck." But I don't really plan what music comes out of me. I think most artists are probably the same way. The best ideas, they just flow out. You're not really thinking about it, and sometimes an idea will be right for TESTAMENT, sometimes it will be right for METAL ALLEGIANCE. In my case, I do instrumental music that has nothing to do with metal, including jazz with my trio. There's an acoustic world music album called "Planetary Collusion" that I did last year. So certain ideas will come out that… they'll find a home… or they won't — they might just be stray ideas. Sometimes I can tweak 'em for a certain project. But in the case of METAL ALLEGIANCE, there was a lot of opportunity to go places that might not have worked for TESTAMENT. For example, the song "Dying Song", which we just released as our premiere video. Phil Anselmo [PANTERA, DOWN] does an amazing on the vocals. That wouldn't have worked for TESTAMENT. It's a one-guitar song — definitely more of a LED ZEPPELIN-, BLACK SABBATH-inspired piece. But then, I think, it goes to its own places. But with METAL ALLEGIANCE, there's a chance to explore these ideas, and they're different configurations that are completely different from TESTAMENT. But then, of course, there are moments where there's a little bit of overlap.

Full Metal Jackie: Will METAL ALLEGIANCE be an ongoing recording project that makes more albums?

Alex: I believe so. It's always hard to say. I think one of the reasons it's working so well and the response is so good is that it wasn't forced. When these guys called me and they said, "We wanna write a record. We think you've got the guitar chops and the writing chops to help write this record," I was very flattered, but I really didn't know what to expect. Because I've crossed paths with these guys on tour, but I really didn't know them that well. I know them very well now. [Laughs] But we'd never worked together. We just said. "Let's just see how it goes." That was my whole approach, and I think that was their approach too. "Let's see how it goes. Maybe we'll get lucky and have a few good songs. Maybe we'll do half a cover record, half an original record." But it wasn't forced. We never said we were gonna do this record; it just happened on its own. Because when we got together, music flowed out. It was just a great chemistry, and then the process just worked so well once we brought in vocalists and guest soloists and guest bass players. So I see no reason why it can't continue. I don't think it'll ever be exactly as it was. First of all, the logistics of working with so many guest artists, that's something else; that's a whole project in itself. But I think as far as the four of us writing another record and doing something similar but with different singers —maybe some of the same ones — I think so. I think we all wanna do it. I think the response is great. If the response continues to be great, and the demand is there, as it looks like it will be, I can totally see it happening.

METAL ALLEGIANCE will release its self-titled debut album on September 18 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Kaytie of the 97.7 WQLZ radio station in Springfield, Illinois conducted an interview with GODSMACK drummer Shannon Larkin earlier today (Monday, September 14). You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether the members of GODSMACK have talked about writing the follow-up 2014's "1000hp" album:

"We talked about it. We're always talking about it. It's funny. It's like a football team or something; you're always talking about next year. So we've already a bunch of songs even, and we're gonna try and continue to write on tour [in the fall]. It's not as easy to write when you're on the road. But we have a jam room backstage, and we're gonna and write as much as we can. Because we are definitely gonna take some time off — probably the rest of November, December, part of January, let the New Year come in. And then we'll get back in… the plan is, February, and we'll do it in Florida, where Tony [Rombola, guitar] and I live, and we have a studio down there. We'll start there, start writing the new record, get a batch of songs, and then go up to Boston, where our headquarters is, and we have a recording studio up there that we can do our new record in. So everything is planned. We don't have any kind of release date or… 'Cause we're definitely not in a position — luckily — that we have to rush. So we'll just take our time, make sure that we get something fresh. Every band, you try and make your next record your best record ever. Our goals are lofty, but they haven't changed."

On what the new GODSMACK material will sound like:

"I don't wanna give too much away, but I would say the vein of the song '1000hp' and 'Something Different'. Those two songs were our favorites on the record, and we'd like to continue in that path — more high-energy rock and roll rather than the metal chunk or whatever… which has been a part of our sound for so long, but we don't wanna be one of those bands that just keeps making the same record over and over again. We try different things. Like, on [2006's] 'IV' record, we went for a bluesier sound. Everything is about influences, and we're definitely influenced as much by, say, LED ZEPPELIN as we were by METALLICA. And so, on the 'IV' record, we went for a more bluesy, ZEPPELIN-ish sound, and then the next record [2010's 'The Oracle'], we went back to our heavy sound. I think on '1000hp', we kind of landed on something that was a little more punk rock-y, a little bit more RAMONES-y, if you will, and AC/DC-ish, you know what I mean? And that's probably the direction that we're pushing for. As long as it's high energy, we wanna experiment with some different sounds on the next record, as far as guitar tones go. We're just gonna try and keep it to where it's still tough sounding and aggressive and high energy. But it'll be probably a more big rock sound."

"1000hp" sold approximately 58,000 copies in its first week of release to land at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 album chart. The disc followed up 2011's "The Oracle", which topped the chart with sales of 117,000 copies in its debut week.

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna described the sound of the "1000hp" album to The Pulse Of Radio as "a little bit more raw, a little bit more open. The writing was a little freer. The production is really kind of raw and in your face, and the songs, man — I'm really, really excited about these songs. And I have to tell you honestly, I wasn't that excited about writing this record at first."

Listen to Van Halen showing off their cover band chops in this mega-rare, newly unearthed recording, live at the Pasadena Civic on November 19, 1976. For the full, untold story of VH's rise to fame, check out the forthcoming book Van Halen Rising: How A Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal.

This incredible recording of Van Halen covering "All Day And All Of The Night" by The Kinks is a gift to VH fans from Greg Renoff, the author of the new book, Van Halen Rising, as a "Thank you for all of the pre-orders of author-signed copies of Van Halen Rising from the Van Halen Store. The book ships next week, so order your copy now and be among the very first to enjoy it! 

This book is absolutely loaded with wild and interesting details on Van Halen's beginnings that even the most knowledgeable fans have never heard. A vivid and energetic history of Van Halen's legendary early years. It's a must-have!

Six years in the making, this is the first book to reveal the debauched details of the band's beginnings, from gonzo backyard parties to neon nights of rock glory on the Sunset Strip.

Drawing on more than 230 original interviews - including with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and power players like Pete Angelus, Marshall Berle, Donn Landee, Ted Templeman, and Neil Zlozower - Van Halen Rising is the first book to tell the untold story of how these rock legends made the unlikely journey from Pasadena, California, to the worldwide stage.

As for photos, it contains over 30 never before published photos dating back to the days of Mammoth and Red Ball Jet. All from the mid to late '70s.

Van Halen Rising traces VH's transformation from a backyard party band to a stadium act that captivated the rock world in 1978.

After years of gigging everywhere from suburban backyards to dive bars, Van Halen - led by frontman extraordinaire David Lee Roth and guitar virtuoso Edward Van Halen - had the songs, the swagger, and the talent to turn the rock world on its ear. The quartet's classic 1978 debut, Van Halen, sold more than a million copies within months of release and rocketed the band to the stratosphere of rock success. On tour, Van Halen's high-energy show wowed audiences and prompted headlining acts like Black Sabbath to concede that they'd been blown off the stage. By the year's end, Van Halen had established themselves as superstars and reinvigorated heavy metal in the process.

If you've ever wondered what it was like to see Van Halen play a massive backyard party, host a rowdy wet-t-shirt contest, perform on the legendary Sunset Strip, and blow rock legends Black Sabbath off the stage, this is the book for you.

 

 

 

On October 9th, NWOBHM cult act Savage will release their brand new studio album, 7, via Minus 2 Zebra Records (distributed by Plastic Head). The double disc release will include a complete live album titled Live N Lethal on the second disc.

Savage, once credited for influencing Metallica to play fast. Even though the band has often been linked to the NWOBHM movement, their roots are more in the vintage classic rock with a modern feel. Influences such as Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple abound and yet with new material they sound incredibly contemporary and fresh. Their debut album, Loose N Lethal (from 1983) became a classic and was the biggest selling independent import into The US in it’s day. The band have had a stop start career but came back with a vengeance in 2012 with the epic album titled Sons Of Malice. The band has been busy ever since on the live scene in the UK and Europe, and most recently an Italian tour earlier this summer.

7 Tracklisting:

"I Am The Law"
"Lock N Load"
"Empire Of Hate"
"Super Spy"
"Circus Of Fools"
"Crazy Horse"
"Speed Freak"
"The Road To Avalon (Sins Of The Fathers)"
"Children Of The Night"
"Payback's A Bitch"
"Shake The Tree"
"Heads Will Roll"

The classic debut is now given a fresh and live treatment in the form of a recently recorded live gig in their hometown. In addition to this, Savage has been hard at work writing and recording set of new classics on this double release. The album titled 7 features 12 blistering new tracks, which mix old with new. Many of the tracks are fast paced and hark back to the early days, whilst tracks such as "Superspy" and "Empire Of Hate" sound akin to something off a modern Ozzy album or even Metallica at their best.

Live N Lethal Tracklisting:

"Prelude To Rage"
"The Rage Within"
"Black N Blue"
"White Hot"
"The China Run"
"On The Rocks"
"Aint No Fit Place"
"Dirty Money"
"Berlin"
"Cry Wolf"
"Let It Loose"
"Smiling Assassin"
"We Got The Edge"

Further details can be found at savageband.com.

 

Grindethic Records has announced the September 22nd release of Subversions Of The Psyche, the full-length debut from Scottish brutal death unit, Iniquitous Savagery. The album’s lead track, “Prey To The Agonies of Morbid Apprehension”, is streaming below.

Three years removed from the release of the Compelled by Perverse Immorality EP, Iniquitous Savagery returns with eight tracks of ultra-violent and tech-laden brutality. On their first full-length outing, Iniquitous Savagery prove themselves to be a cut above the brutal death norm by forging memorable tunes out of rapid-fire blasts, crushing grooves and guttural intensity. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jörg Uken at Soundlodge Studios, Subversions Of The Psyche is easily one of the sickest UKDM albums in recent memory.

Subversions Of The Psyche tracklisting:

“Prey To The Agonies of Morbid Apprehension”
“Transient States Of Metaphysical Revelation”
“Cognitive Dissonance” (featuring guest vocals from Batu Cetin)
“Sadistic”
“Subversions Of The Psyche”
“Propagating A Pestiferous Enmity” (featuring guest vocals from Tom Bradfield)
“Prognosis Of Terminal Parasitic Degradation Facilitating The Process For Utter Decomposition”
“Subjugated Into Pathological Servility”

“Prey To The Agonies of Morbid Apprehension”:

“Transient States Of Metaphysical Revelation”:

Pre-order Subversions Of The Psyche at this location.

Bulgaria's Enthrallment have revealed the artwork for their new album, Eugenic Wombs, which contains nine new tracks and will be available on December 4th again via Germany's Rebirth The Metal Productions. A new trailer video is also available below.

Eugenic Wombs tracklisting:

“Deserved Fears”
“Few Are Those Who Find It”
“Last Judgment Waltz”
“Totally Dismembered”
“Defame The Incarnation”
“Inspired Lunatic”
“Path To Silence”
“Nature Dose Not Allow Doubling”
“Enslaved by Your Own Seed”

Trailer:

“Last Judgment Waltz”:

 

In a brand new interview with 100PercentRock.com, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was asked if he would agree that people have an unhealthy "obsession" with getting classic lineups of successful bands back together instead of just enjoying the individual members' respective solo work.

"I would agree with you on one hand," he responded, "but on the other hand, as a fan, I can totally understand where a fan is coming from, that would be excited to see their favourite band reunite after decades. Like when KISS did that in 1996 — that was completely insane. I look back, through all of rock and roll, I think that when KISS reunited in '96, it was one of the most incredible things that ever happened in rock and roll."

He continued: "When people say, 'Are SKID ROW going to get back together?' I understand that question. [But] I haven’t been in the same room as [SKID ROW bassist] Rachel Bolan since '96. It's coming up on 20 years. If we ever were to reunite on a stage — that's almost 20 years of getting over whatever the hell it is he's mad about, because I'm not mad at all. The fact that the five guys in GUNS N' ROSES are still alive, and the five guys in SKID ROW, we're all still alive, that's a miracle. It's almost, like, if you have the chance to do something that epic, and you don't do it, it's kind of, like, selfish to me, really."

Bach didn't rule out one day returning to the band that made him famous, but made it clear the reunion isn't up to him.

"It's very easy for me to walk on the stage and sing the same songs that I already sing every night," he said. "It's not hard, so I don't understand what the holdup is. You'd have to ask them."

SKID ROW recently fired its lead singer of the past fifteen years, Johnny Solinger, and replaced him with ex-TNT frontman Tony Harnell.

In a 2010 interview, Bolan stated about SKID ROW's split with Sebastian: "There was so much tension and so much infighting that it was hard to write songs. Snake and I formed the band, we wrote the songs, and then other people played and sang it. People wanted to break away from what had been working, and that impeded the songwriting."

Regarding the decision to reform SKID ROW in 1999 without Bach, Bolan said: "The blood was so bad after [1995's] 'Subhuman Race' and there was just so much stuff in the press, we knew it wasn't going to work [with Sebastian]. We decided we'd rather go on being happy with what we were doing than get right back into all the tension and dissension. We loved the music, we loved playing, and we knew we could do this and have fun again. So we decided right there to continue without him."

New York City-based experimental death metal quartet, Pyrrhon, will release a CD version of their latest works, the Growth Without End mini-album, through Selfmadegod Records on October 1st, following its initial vinyl version released earlier this year by Handshake Inc.

The five-song Growth Without End was recorded and mixed by Ryan Jones, mastered by Colin Marston, and as expected from the talented and lethal Pyrrhon, is a total mindfuck, merging bouts of punishing death, super-evil noise rock, twisted math, chaotic and menacing grind. It's kind of like Daughters, Brutal Truth, Merzbow and Autopsy created a batch of catchy-by-reverse-psychology songs, and then promised to never speak of them again. As usual, vocalist Doug Moore brings a wildly varied palate of screams, growls, grunts, howls, barks and spoken power to his ominous, thought-provoking and voyeuristic lyrics that navigate the miasma of sonic insanity the band lays down. It's clear each member in the band is a virtuoso - skills used not to show off, but to engulf the listener with emotion, power, tasty chaos and passages that will get inside of you, possess you, and bring cathartic, 'hell yes!' pleasure and pain to all your musical glands.

Unload "Cancer Mantra", the opening song from Growth Without End, via the audio clip below.

To read BraveWords scribe Greg Pratt's review of Growth Without End, click here.

In live news, Pyrrhon has also booked a new show, set to play their hometown at Brooklyn's Saint Vitus Bar on September 29th with Maruta and Yautja.

 

Marillion and PledgeMusic are joining forces to take the direct-to-fan business to a new level in the launch of the new Marillion album.

Marillion have long demonstrated their prowess in working with their fans. They started the whole direct-to-fan funding business model in 1997. The pioneering work that they have done with their fans on the internet, has paved the way for bands to operate in the digital age in a truly independent way.

Marillion have spent much of the year holed up in their Racket Club studio, jamming, writing and recording. Although it's still early days, the band reports that the initial tracks put down are already sounding truly outstanding. There is a lot more work to be done and although there is no confirmed release date, the ambition is that the band's 18th studio album (as yet untitled) will be ready for release sometime in early 2016.

The PledgeMusic Marillion campaign launched on September 1st , and offers on the special PledgeMusic/Marillion storefront and PledgeMusic website include pre-ordering the CD, LP, Deluxe CD, a Special Edition box set and digital formats, with limited edition signed copies also available. A private show at the band's Racket Club studios in Aylesbury is also in the listing. Additional special offers will be introduced throughout the campaign and later in the year once the album is finished, the band will be adding the opportunity to buy tickets to exclusive'Listening Parties' around the world. To make a pledge please visit this location.

Throughout and up to the album release, the band will keep the PledgeMusic and Marillion fans updated with the album's progress and news from their world through the PledgeMusic 'AccessPass'.

Marillion promise that the campaign will be bigger and better than ever before; "We consider PledgeMusic to be the best in their field and after much thought feel that they as the new masters of the art, offer the band and the fans the most exciting possibilities. PledgeMusic have the same level of great customer service that we pride ourselves on and totally understand the relationship that we have with our fans.”
 
Benji Rogers, President & Founder PledgeMusic cites Marillion as a pivotal influence on the formation of PledgeMusic in 2009; "Partnering with Marillion in 2015 is an incredible honour for me personally and for the team at PledgeMusic. Their pioneering approach to direct-to-fan was both and inspiration and a guiding light for PledgeMusic from business plan to launch and beyond and we could not be more excited to have them as part of our story."

(Photos: Carl Glover)

SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell says that the band is working on material for its next album at a "relaxed pace." The group's last effort, "King Animal", came out in November 2012.

Cornell told Guitar World magazine: "Before the end of the year, we'll certainly be working on writing a lot, but I don't see us recording it. I think we're going to make serious headway. The thing about us is, we don't use a calendar. That's the only quantifier we use; it's the only rule we carved out when we got back together. There's no stress or tension in being SOUNDGARDEN anymore, and that's been super-positive. There hasn't been one lull in our euphoria for being a band again, and I think it's important for it to remain that way. That's how we're gonna do it, by not having a cycle."

Cornell told The Pulse Of Radio that he thinks it's good for the band members to spend time on their own projects. "We all bring in our outside-the-band experiences back in, and that doesn't seem to ever be anything but a good thing," he said. "It's great to sort of go out into a different world and come back with new understandings of how to write songs and how to record albums, and also just that sort of palate-clearing of doing something different."

"Higher Truth", Cornell's fourth solo studio album, arrives on September 18 and features the single "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart".

Cornell will begin a solo acoustic tour in support of "Higher Truth" on September 18 in San Diego, winding down on November 4 in Phoenix.

Bass Player magazine returns for its eighth year in Los Angeles with the premier live bass guitar event, Bass Player LIVE! 2015, on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8. SIR Studios, at 6465 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, will once again be the location for two days of exhibits by top gear manufacturers and clinics by world-class bassists. An All-Star Concert featuring this year's award recipients will be held on the evening of November 7 at Musicians Institute, 6752 Hollywood Blvd. Highlights of this much-anticipated bass bash include: *A Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award presented to session legend Nathan East, who will accept his award and perform with his band at the All-Star Concert on November 7, and host a clinic at SIR on November 8. Following 35 years as a first-call Los Angeles studio ace, recording with everyone from Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and Phil Collins to Eric Clapton, FOURPLAY and DAFT PUNK, Nathan at last made his solo debut in 2014 with his chart-topping, self-titled album on the Yamaha Artist Group label. His follow-up, "The New Cool", with Bob James, was just released. *A Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to MOTÖRHEAD bass icon Lemmy Kilmister, who will accept his award at the All-Star Concert on November 7. Lemmy and MOTÖRHEAD are celebrating 40 years of the world's biggest and baddest rock and roll band of all time in 2015, and just released their 22nd studio album, "Bad Magic" (UDR Music/Motörhead Music). *A posthumous Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award presented to the family of the late Louis Johnson at the All-Star Concert, followed by a tribute set featuring Louis's bass peers; plus a tribute clinic hosted by BROTHERS JOHNSON guitarist George Johnson at SIR on November 8. Passing in 2015 at age 60, Louis "Thunder Thumbs" Johnson forged a landmark career that found him furthering the art of bass playing (and slapping in particular) both as a member of the BROTHERS JOHNSON ("Stomp", "Strawberry Letter #23") and as a top session bassist with Michael Jackson ("Off The Wall", "Thriller"), Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney and many more. *Clinic appearances by DURAN DURAN's John Taylor and Ben Kenney of INCUBUS. *A special clinic presentation by session legend Chuck Rainey, joined by fellow studio greats James Gadson on drums and Larry Nash on keyboards. *A probing pedal and effects clinic by THE MARS VOLTA bassist and author of Bass Player's "Tonal Vision" column, Juan Alderete. *A throwdown clinic by gospel bass master Andrew Gouche and his band in support of his new album, "We Don't Need No Bass". *Bass and vocal phenomenon Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock) — who received the Bass Player LIVE! "Young Gun" award in 2013 — in her first Bass Player LIVE! clinic since 2009. *TV's "face of bass," award-winning producer, and former "American Idol" and "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" bandleader Rickey Minor will hold his annual clinic. * The Bass Player LIVE! debut of virtuoso bassist/producer and Rope A Dope recording artist Bill Dickens, who will present a clinic in support of his new album "Tha Truth". Also slated this year is the return of Mike Merritt's TV Bass Roundtable with "The Late Late Show"'s Hagar Ben Ari making her Bass Player LIVE! debut; an All-Star rock roundtable clinic with Doug Pinnick and Rob "Blasko" Nicholson; and artist appearances by Verdine White, Stu Hamm, "Ready" Freddie Washington, Oskar Cartaya, Rhonda Smith, Janek Gwizdala, Jerry Jemmott, Bryant Siono, Jimmy Earl, Phil Chen, Bobby Vega, Sean Hurley, Steve Jenkins, Bunny Brunel, Rufus Philpot, Byron Miller, Scott Reeder, Tony Franklin, Marty O'Brien and more. Visit www.bassplayerlive.com for the latest information on tickets and appearing artists and manufacturers.

SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell has released a new song called "Worried Moon" via VEVO. Check it out below. The track is taken from Cornell's new album, "Higher Truth", which will be released on Friday, September 18 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), and fans can pre-order the deluxe version of the album, which contains four bonus tracks. Produced by Brendan O'Brien (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, PEARL JAM, NEIL YOUNG), "Higher Truth" showcases Cornell's constant evolution as a master songwriter, lyricist and musical craftsman — telling human stories which transcend musical genres. Inspired by the stark arrangements of musicians like Nick Drake, Daniel Johnston and White Album-era BEATLES, Cornell creates a musical universe unlike anything he has done before. In celebration of the album's release, on Thursday September 17, Cornell will perform "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" live on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". To watch the performance, tune in to NBC at 11:35/10:35c (check local listings).

Cornell will kick off the "Higher Truth" acoustic tour on September 18 in San Diego, California at the Balboa Theatre, stopping at famed North American venues like the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Massey Hall in Toronto and more before winding down on November 4 in Phoenix, Arizona at the Orpheum Theatre.

The deluxe version of "Higher Truth" will contain four bonus tracks.

"Higher Truth" track listing: 01. Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart02. Dead Wishes03. Worried Moon04. Before We Disappear05. Through The Window06. Josephine07. Murderer Of Blue Skies08. Higher Truth09. Let Your Eyes Wander10. Only These Words11. Circling12. Our Time In The Universe Bonus tracks: 13. Bend In The Road14. Wrong Side15. Misery Chain16. Our Time In The Universe (Remix)

The new disc follows up Cornell's last solo studio effort, 2009's urban pop-tinged "Scream". The Timbaland-produced set sharply divided fans.

The singer has also started working on material for the next SOUNDGARDEN album, which will follow up 2012's "King Animal".

U.K.-based hardcore punk/grindcore legends EXTREME NOISE TERROR will unleash their self-titled new full-length via Willowtip Records. Due on November 5, the band's first studio album in six years sees them returning to their hardcore punk roots with a manic, stripped down and highly aggressive raw sound that perfectly complements the chaotic attack that saw the band become a firm favorite throughout the '80s and '90s with punks and metal fans alike. Tracked at Springvale Studios with longtime producer Mark H. Harwood, the album features the lead guitar talents of guest musician Kody from Singapore hardcore punk band MINUS and includes a cover of "I Like Cola" by '80s Japanese hardcore pioneers OUTO that sits nicely alongside twelve of the band's fastest, most intense and catchy tracks to date. Says iconic frontman Dean Jones of the recording: "This album takes us purely back to the days of 'A Holocaust In Your Head', 'Earslaughter' and 'Phonophobia' with the true original blend of frenetic, super hi-octane fueled madness mixed with a few 'Show Us You Care'-style, catchy-as-hell, circle moshing break up bits. Our best album yet. If this doesn't blow your head off, nothing will!" Adds second vocalist Ben McCrow who makes his full-length debut with the band: "I was a big fan of EXTREME NOISE TERROR as a teen, long before I joined, specifically of 'A Holocaust In Your Head' and 'Phonophobia'.

"If I was going to compare this new album to anything the band's done before, I'd say it sits nicely with those two. Catchy as fuck, aggressive, ultra hardcore punk riffs, fast frantic drumming and mental vocals; I don't think Dean's ever sounded as insane as he does on this one! It's raw as fuck too, no click tracks or fixing-in-the-mix type shit, instead the drums, bass and guitars were done live with the leads added after and me and Dean sharing a mic going through a seventy-six-year-old analogue valve amp.

"We're all hugely proud of this album; it's a proper call to arms and a brutal statement that the band's music and message is every bit as relevant today as when it was formed thirty years ago." "Extreme Noise Terror" track listing:

01. Punk Rock Patrol02. Dogma, Intolerance, Control 03. No One Is Innocent 04. I Like Coca (Outo "I Like Cola") 05. Think Outside The Box 06. Chained & Crazed 07. An Endless Cycle Of Misery 08. Sheep In Wolf's Clothing 09. Cash And Trash 10. Cruel And Unusual Punishment 11. Last Fix Of Fame 12. Cage Paralysis13. Only In It For The Music Pt. 27 (Black Putrefaction)